Five Kansas football storylines to watch as Jayhawks open summer training camp
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Quarterback Jalon Daniels enters training camp healthy, boosting team cohesion.
- New coordinator DK McDonald installs simpler defense, emphasizing instincts.
- Jayhawks face roster turnover at receiver and cornerback, testing depth early.
Football season is near at last: The Kansas Jayhawks open their annual summer training camp on Thursday.
The start of camp is a week earlier than usual this year, as Kansas will play in a Week 0 game against Fresno State on Aug. 23. The game will be the first at the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium.
Here are five storylines to monitor as the Jayhawks get ready for the 2025 season:
1. Is QB Jalon Daniels fully healthy for training camp?
Quarterback Jalon Daniels missed much of the 2024 offseason because of a lingering back injury.
KU coach Lance Leipold spoke candidly about the effect of that absence during the recent Big 12 Media Days event. Daniels threw eight interceptions in the first five games of 2024 before finding his groove in the latter part of the season.
“The timing, continuity and everything that we’re doing really just got discombobulated,” Leipold said.
Now, Daniels is fully healthy after undergoing knee surgery in February. He spent some time in his home state of California this offseason, working out with much of KU’s new-look receiver corps.
“This is a receiver room that I did not have the chance to be able to do much of spring (practices) with,” Daniels said. “Also, it’s not the same receiver room that I spent the last five years with.”
As Daniels enters his final season of college football, having the opportunity to get reps with those guys should prove beneficial. He has NFL aspirations that may hinge on his ability to put together a special 2025 campaign.
2. Getting to know new defensive coordinator DK McDonald
Longtime Jayhawks defensive coordinator Brian Borland retired this offseason and Leipold replaced him with DK McDonald, KU’s former defensive backs coach.
KU in 2023 ranked fourth in the Big 12 in total defense and sixth in scoring defense. But the Jayhawks took a step back defensively last season, ranking No. 63 in points allowed per game (24.3).
Leipold said this year’s defense will be simpler — in many ways. And multiple defensive players said the same thing to The Star.
The players described McDonald’s defense as being based on “less thinking and (being) more instinctual.” Whether that also means “better” remains to be seen.
3. KU’s receivers include numerous new faces
Wide receivers Luke Grimm, Quentin Skinner and Lawrence Arnold graduated in May. All three were longtime starters.
The Jayhawks reloaded in the transfer portal this offseason, adding Emanuel Henderson (formerly at Alabama), Levi Wentz (Albany), Cam Pickett (Ball State) and Bryson Canty (Columbia).
The Jayhawks also brought in tight end Boden Groen from Rice and Deshawn Hannika returns from a torn Achilles that caused him to miss the entire 2024 season.
Leipold was pleased with his new group’s performance during spring practices, but how that optimism translates to actual games remains to be seen.
4. Replacing star corners Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson
KU also has some big shoes to fill at cornerback after stars Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson departed for the NFL.
Leipold added veteran corners DJ Graham (Utah State) and Syeed Gibbs (Georgia Tech) via the portal. The Jayhawks also welcome former four-star recruit Jahil Hurley from Alabama. And sophomore Jalen Todd garnered praise from Leipold and McDonald during spring ball.
A couple of younger cornerbacks, Austin Alexander and Jameel Croft, are also competing for playing time.
Replacing the production of Dotson and Bryant won’t be easy. Those two were staples in KU’s defense and provided stability. The Jayhawks don’t have that luxury right now.
Graham, Todd and Gibbs — their efficacy — will go a long way toward determining the ceiling for KU’s defense this fall.
5. Will three bye weeks be beneficial for KU?
Because they’ll be playing that zero-week game, the Jayhawks have three scheduled bye weeks this season. Several players told The Star that the extra week off should be a blessing in the middle of a long season.
Leipold wouldn’t go quite that far.
“I think they are spread out decently,” the coach said. “There is two that are a little closer (together) maybe than we want, but to play three (games) and then have (an open date) is probably as good as a time (as any), especially after starting a little earlier. Things are about as good as can be.”
Leipold said hosting seven home games in the new stadium is an exciting opportunity, especially after his team had to play all six of its “home” games in Kansas City last season.
Here’s the full schedule for KU football this season:
2025 KU football schedule
- Game 1: vs. Fresno State | Lawrence | Aug. 23
- Game 2: (FCS): vs. Wagner | Lawrence | Aug. 29 (Friday)
- Game 3 (nonconference): at Missouri | Columbia | Sept. 6
OFF Week: Sept. 8
- Game 4: (Big 12): vs. West Virginia | Lawrence | Sept. 20
- Game 5: (Big 12): vs. Cincinnati | Lawrence| Sept. 27
- Game 6: (Big 12) at UCF | Orlando |Oct. 4
- Game 7: (Big 12) vs. Texas Tech| Lubbock | Oct. 11
- OFF Week: Oct. 18
- Game 8: (Big 12) vs. Kansas State | Lawrence | Oct. 25
- Game 9: (Big 12) vs. OSU | Lawrence | Nov. 1
- Game 10: (Big 12) at Arizona | Tucson | Nov. 8
- OFF Week: Nov. 15
- Game 11: (Big 12): at Iowa State | Ames | Nov. 22
- Game 12 (Big 12): vs. Utah | Lawrence| Nov. 28/29
This story was originally published July 23, 2025 at 12:51 PM with the headline "Five Kansas football storylines to watch as Jayhawks open summer training camp."
